


Hero

by Orange_Sunset_12



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blatchery Plain, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Link tries to comfort her, Link's Death, Major Character Injury, Memory 17, Zelda is in pain, as always, zelink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:53:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27107524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orange_Sunset_12/pseuds/Orange_Sunset_12
Summary: It was on the day that Hyrule fell that Zelda lost her light.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 53





	Hero

Everything is white.

Time seems to slow down, somehow, as the glowing light flowing through her being expands itself towards the wet grassy land beneath her feet... towards the sky...

She watches with a flabbergasted expression as the corrupted guardians that were mere seconds ago marching their way stop dead on their tracks, the red menacing color of the engines fading to a hollow grey.

It's over as soon as she realizes what has happened.

"Was it...? The _power_...?" It's a low whisper, but through the defining silence that so suddenly fills the air, it feels like a shattering shout.

A loud thud behind her feels much louder, however.

Zelda turns around in a blink of an eye, reaching the conclusion her brain has been diving into ever since Link's Hylian shield broke on their way through the Dueling Peaks: he is utterly _exhausted_.

Her heart drops inside her chest when she sees him curled up on the floor, still, eyes closed shut, the grip on the Master Sword slowly losing force.

"Link!" Her feet take her to him, and she's quick to cradle him into her arms. Her voice is strained as she speaks, tears rapidly forming in her eyes. "Link, you'll be fine. I promise, you'll be just fine."

Her vision starts to blur with unshed tears, and she doesn't really mind when they fall into Link's bloody shirt, camouflaged by the rain that started soaking his tunic hours ago.

"Just hold on, alright? It's going to be okay." Zelda says, her hands moving a strand of dirty blonde hair back to its rightful place. His skin is pale, and cold, a deep contrast to how it usually is. She feels a shiver run down her spine when he suddenly locks eyes with her and she realizes _they're running out of time_.

"Help will come for sure, Link. Just hold on a bit more, please!" But her voice has lost hope, and she knows it's too late. _They_ know. And suddenly the way Link is staring at her - like she's the only good thing to ever inhabit this world - is making it unbearable to not break down.

His eyes have lost their usual glow, and their brightness has started to fade as his body gives in. Yet, they never leave hers, and Zelda almost wants to leave him because _how dare he die on her_? After everything they've been through, after every struggle they'd faced together, this is how he goes. Severely wounded, but a Hero no less.

As if reading her expression, his face relaxes, a hint of a smile forming on his lips. "You did it."

"What?" She asks, disbelieved.

"Your powers. You did it." Link whispers, voice raspy and somewhat affectionate.

But words can't seem to find her, and she has no other option but to look back at him, to his ocean blue eyes, and ask herself what she will do next. She can't leave him here, of course, but there's no way her body can carry such dead weight to Kakariko. The only option is to stay, and pray with every ounce of her heart that help will come sooner rather than later.

A sudden coughing fit startles her to her core.

Gripping the hand that isn't holding the Master Sword, her eyes are making silent pleas when they lock on his once again, and she knows he understands.

"It's okay..." he assures, eyes closing for a few seconds before opening again. He gives her hand a soft squeeze, silently reinforcing his statement. "It's okay."

"No it's not..." Zelda cries, "It's not okay... it's not okay because I should be the one dying, not you!"

His smile fades for some seconds, and Zelda almost wants to hit herself for it.

He dismisses her self loathing statement with a soft voice. "How did you do it?"

Oh... Isn't that the real question?

"I don't- I don't know it just... it just happened I guess?"

His smile returns full force, eyes never leaving her teary ones. Link finds one last ounce of strength to let go of the Master Sword and reach up to wipe some of her tears away, his touch soft despite the trembling in his whole body. "I'm really proud of you, you know?"

And that's when the dam breaks.

Her lip quivers with emotion as the words are voiced, his head suddenly feeling heavy as his eyes roll back to the back of his head, passed out. His hand drops from her cheek, to the muddy ground.

Zelda cries.

Tears she did not know she still had fall now rapidly down her face to his tunic below, and she suddenly feels _so tired_. So tired of fighting, so tired of losing. She's helpless and exhausted. Her friends and family are all gone, and now the only person she wanted to have by her side through every step of the way has now left her as well.

Her head feels heavy all of a sudden, coming to rest atop the boy's chest, hands gripping the wet fabric of the Champion's Tunic with clenched fists. She's all alone. Everyone she loved is gone now.

Though one thing is sure. She will do whatever it takes to bring down the Calamity once and for all.

For her friends. For her father. For Link.

Link... who saved her without a single thought for his life. Link, the one whose arms have become a safe place for her, when the nights following every failure at the Springs were filled with nightmares and despair.

Link, the Hero of Hyrule. _Her_ hero.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, how are you doing?  
> I know this is a small one but I've had this headcanon on my head for a long time and wanted to share :)  
> I hope you enjoy! Leave your thoughts as well if you want to, I love hearing from you! <3


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